After a stretch of 5 video games in seven nights (and 6 in 9), it’s not stunning that the Memphis Grizzlies outscored the Celtics 22-4 in transition factors en path to a 127-121 win at TD Backyard on Saturday evening.
Boston had truly turned a 14-point deficit within the third right into a 4-point result in begin the ultimate body, however in the long run, didn’t have the legs to shut it out.
It’s positively robust. All people’s drained. It’s been type of a troublesome stretch, nevertheless it’s no excuse,” Payton Pritchard mentioned after scoring 22 factors on 6-o-f-11 taking pictures from the arc and being a part of the closing lineup. “You gotta come out. We’re the most effective group within the NBA and we gotta present it each evening. That’s our mentality. We gotta present it each evening.”
For probably the most half, they’ve regardless of some troublesome circumstances. The loss to the Grizzlies was their first in 5 backends of a back-to-back. They’d gained each video games in Charlotte in an away-and-away towards the Hornets, blew out Brooklyn on the street, and crushed the Clippers and Warmth after robust video games towards the Timberwolves and Cavaliers respectively.
They’ve a glowing 15.9 web score on the second evening of a back-to-back (121.9 off rtg, 106 def rtg). You could possibly even argue that they’re at their finest with their backs (no pun supposed) towards the wall. With a extra conventional evening off between video games, their web score drops to 7.1.
However now, by advantage of lacking out on NBA Cup rivalry, they’ll play simply two video games within the subsequent eleven days — Thursday evening internet hosting the Pistons and Sunday evening in DC — earlier than heading again to TD Backyard for a Thursday tilt towards the visiting Bulls.
“It’ll be good, to get some days off,” Jaylen Brown mentioned. “It’s been some robust scheduling, so tonight, I don’t suppose was the most effective indication of Celtics basketball.”
All issues thought of, the Celtics are comparatively wholesome (after a Kristaps Porzingis damage scare) with six of their subsequent 9 video games duringthe holidays at dwelling. They’re second within the East at 19-5 with a top-10 offense and protection with the third highest web score within the league. A tricky December loss to one of many West’s hottest groups doesn’t change that.
“It’s basketball. It’s going to occur to each single group, so we don’t actually have an excuse,” Jrue Vacation mentioned. “You simply need to go on the market and play, although generally, video games won’t go your manner, we all the time know we’ll be in it due to the best way we play and the way exhausting we play.”
